Adorned for Death
Glass Bracelets for the Dead at Khirbat Al-Mudayna (Thamad)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jia.v1i1.37Keywords:
bracelets, glass bangles, Ottoman, Jordan, burial, nomadismAbstract
Intrusive burials disrupt the neat stratigraphy that archaeologists long for in their quest for the evidence of ancient life. Nevertheless, these burials are themselves testimony to the peoples who have lived, worked or travelled through the region for trade, resource acquisition, or pilgrimage. These burials also contain high status artefacts which themselves provide evidence of wealth, status, or special care bestowed on the deceased. Such is the case with glass bracelets with colourful trails and patches that testify to a specialized craft during the late Medieval and early Ottoman periods. This paper presents a study of a small group of ornate glass bracelets recovered from in situ burials at Khirbat al-Mudayna on Wadi Thamad in central Jordan, and compares them with larger assemblages from Palestine, the Jordan Valley and the Karak plateau.
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